I. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a boring instrument guiding device which, when a pilot hole for embedding a pedicle screw used for spinal fusion surgery as a spinal surgical operation is formed by a boring instrument, is used to precisely guide the insertion position and direction of the boring instrument, and relates to a boring assembly which forms the pilot hole.
II. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 12 is an axial cross-sectional view of a spine. FIG. 13 is a view of the spine viewed from the front thereof. FIG. 14 is a view of the spine viewed from the side thereof. The spinal fusion surgery is an excellent operation method for correcting and fixing the spine. In such a surgical operation of the spine, a method for embedding a pedicle screw in the spine is often used. The pedicle screw is embedded in such a manner that a pilot hole is formed beforehand by inserting a boring instrument, such as an awl and a tap, and that the pedicle screw is screwed into the pilot hole.
However, as shown in FIG. 12 to FIG. 14, in the vicinity of the spine, important organs, such as a spinal cord, a nerve root, a blood vessel, and an internal organ, are located close to each other. Thus, when the insertion position is incorrect, serious damage may occur in the organs. Therefore, it is necessary to precisely determine the insertion position.
Conventionally, the position of the pedicle into which the screw is to be inserted is checked from the front and side face images of the spine which are captured by an X-ray apparatus, and then an awl is inserted without a guide. However, there is a problem that a variation occurs in the operation result according to the operator's experience.
Thus, a navigation system of a pedicle probe is described in National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2008-36248. Specifically, the navigation system is a system which guides the insertion of the pedicle probe in spinal reconstruction surgery, and is characterized by a configuration that includes: an ultrasonic transducer for transmission and reception, which is provided at the distal end section of the pedicle probe; measurement means which, when the pedicle probe is inserted into the spongy bone of the vertebral pedicle, measures, by using the ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic echo signal generated at the boundary between the spongy bone and the cortical bone; analysis means which analyzes the waveform of the ultrasonic echo signal measured by the measurement means; and display means which displays, in real time, the result obtained by the measurement means, and/or the result obtained by the analysis means.